When you work for a cause that you believe in passionately and urgently, the work can be energizing and affirming. But it can also be exhausting, and may lead to burnout if you're not careful. This can be true whether you've been an activist for decades, or have found yourself newly energized to participate in activism for the first time in your life.

We reached out to women fighting for a variety of different causes, some of whom are career activists, others who are new to the social justice world. They all have feelings of outrage and of being overwhelmed, along with questions of whether they’ll ever really make an impact. But they haven’t given up—and neither should you. Here's what they say motivates them to raise their voices in protest, and how they stay invigorated and engaged—even when all they want to do is give up.

What I'm fighting for: I want our platform, Muslim Girl, to relentlessly elevate the narratives that have been marginalized and silenced both outside of and within the Muslim community. I also organize and take part in rallies and protests, and we coordinated the first international Muslim Women's Day in March.

My experience with activism fatigue: In 2014, my first year out of college, I was taking part in a protest in Washington, D.C. A bunch of counter-protesters showed up and targeted me. The things they said were dehumanizing, hurtful, and traumatic. None of the other activists identified what was going on and instead pushed me to work harder. I totally burned out and stopped social justice work for two months.

How I stay motivated to keep fighting: When I met up for coffee with another activist and told her what had happened, she identified that I had been triggered and needed self-care. That moment really showed me the importance of surrounding yourself with a good support system and other women activists with whom you can share the struggle.

2. Lucy McBath, 57, activist supporting stricter gun laws

What I'm fighting for: When my son Jordan was murdered in 2012, I came to understand gun culture in the United States and the laws that allowed tragedies like this to happen. I joined Moms Demand Action, and about four months after that, Shannon Watts, the founder, asked me to become national spokeswoman.

My experience with activism fatigue: I had to take time off after the election. I had been running really, really hard for gun violence prevention, pouring out my heart and soul for the candidate who I really believed was the best. I began to recognize that no matter who won, I was going to have to take some down time for myself spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. This work is every single day of your life—it's every moment that you breathe. You have to find ways to turn it off, you have to find ways to lay it down. Survivors fight so hard for gun-violence prevention, but on top of that, we're still affected by the tragedies we have suffered.

How I stay motivated to keep fighting: I remember that this movement is going to go on whether I take a little break right now or not. You have to give yourself a chance to breathe, to do the things you used to do before you took up this cause. It's important to have a balance. We have to give ourselves permission to say, "Today I don't have to be an activist."

What I'm fighting for: I started Girls Who Code in an effort to help close the gender gap in science and technology. In the past six years, in teaching more than 40,000 girls, I have created over 40,000 change makers—girls who are building apps to tackle problems such as bullying, Zika, and cancer.

My experience with activism fatigue: When I have activism fatigue, I'm grouchier. I'm not present. I know I'm burned out when I look through my calendar and start canceling things. I don't sleep as well. I try to go to the gym four times a week, but when I am there and suffering, I'm trying to leave 10 minutes early—I'm just done.

How I stay motivated to keep fighting: When I'm fatigued, I really try to turn off. I will just put my phone in my bag and not look at it for four hours. I also believe in journaling. I always have one next to my bed so I can release myself from thoughts at the end of the day.

What I'm fighting for: My best friend getting raped in college led to our activism. We fight sexual assault through Sexversations, an educational tool to inspire inclusive discussions about sex, and One Student, a program to help students address sexual violence. We have lectured to more than one million students, offered aid to the White House, educated branches of the military, and worked with parents. We are making progress but it’s slow and scarce—we still have a society that fosters rape culture.

My experience with activism fatigue: Having my best friend by my side reenergized me over the years. But becoming a parent changes things. You realize time is limited and you become frustrated at the same headlines. About a year ago, I hit a wall. I became lost and disenchanted when Brock Turner, Bill Cosby, and now-President Donald Trump not only allegedly did horrific things but faced almost no accountability. I began to think, "Am I lying to everyone when I tell them that their voice matters?"

How I stay motivated to keep fighting: I still get tired. I still have frustrations. But now I sleep. I step back to get a clearer picture. And I cry with my best friend. You need a crew with whom you can drop your armor and say, "This is hard." But you also have to celebrate the victories.

What I'm fighting for: I came out in my late teens and early 20s and was so struck by what the HIV/AIDS crisis was doing to the gay community. I marched and protested, but I also focused my energy on counseling clients. More recently, the shift in our current political climate has ripped the curtain back on the things I thought were improving. The palpable hate and prejudice have sparked my need to march, contact my legislative representatives, and join political action organizations.

My experience with activism fatigue: In 2008, California voted for Proposition 8, which initially doomed marriage equality in the state. After that, I didn’t want to write speeches, I stopped blogging, I felt like I had run out of things to say. When the Obergefell decision—the Supreme Court ruling that guaranteed the fundamental right to marry to same-sex couples—came down in 2015, I woke up. It mattered so much to be legally married to my spouse. Then, as things improved during the Obama administration, I started to feel like we had won and became complacent.

How I stay motivated to keep fighting: As an "elder" of the community I often feel that the younger generation has it so much easier, but they still struggle and they still suffer. Now, I recognize feelings of defeat and complacency for what they are and don’t fall into the trap of thinking, It’s always going to be like this. I make lists of things I feel hopeless about and pick one or two to focus on. I push beyond the hopelessness and envision all the activists I admire cheering me on.

What I'm fighting for: Since age 19, I've been organizing and advocating on behalf of and alongside marginalized communities. I've dedicated myself to working with youth—and particularly youth who have been impacted by incarceration. I've also been working on police brutality in the past five years.

My experience with activism fatigue: When I came on board as the national organizing director at the Gathering for Justice in 2008, I started to suffer from activism fatigue. I think a lack of direction led to it, and it quickly became overwhelming. I had to ask for guidance and direction and just clarity in my role and tasks.

How I stay motivated to keep fighting: To stay energized and engaged, I drink a lot of water, I practice gratitude by listing three things I’m grateful for in the morning, I work out and eat healthy, watch comedies, send myself positive affirmations, and surround myself with people I love and admire. And when I'm feeling discouraged, I pray—a lot and for everybody.

7. Mia Ives-Rublee, 32, advocated at the Women's March for people with disabilities

What I'm fighting for: I have osteogenesis imperfecta, a disease that causes my bones to break easily. I was involved in the Women's March, and helped make sure they included women and people with disabilities. These events often aren't accessible, so I reached out to see what the organizers were going to do about people with disabilities. When I found out that they didn't have a plan, I stepped into the role.

My experience with activism fatigue: I slept most of the day after the Women's March, and for the next week, I took a step away from facilitating conversations on Facebook, just trying to recover. I've seen activism take its toll on other people. Some people drop out. It can be really hard, especially for people with disabilities, who are already dealing with medical conditions and external tolls because things aren’t accessible.

How I stay motivated to keep fighting: To decompress, I do things I really enjoy and love. I spend time with my service dog. I work out all the time. I love reading and I'm an avid movie lover. For me, activism is a passion and it's not something I can step very far back from, because it's about my right to exist and be here. So I do something I love, then I jump back in when I'm ready.

8. Jules Larson, 26, transgender artist and activist

What I'm fighting for: I advocate for transgender health care and housing, which are some of the most important, immediately dangerous issues for trans people. Being trans without access to affordable health services or shelter could mean death in many ways.

My experience with activism fatigue: At one point, I was suffering through internal strife and not being able to pay my bills while maintaining a high degree of involvement with this work. As a woman, you are often put in the position to care for other people's needs rather than your own, and this created even more additional fatigue.

How I stay motivated to keep fighting: It comes back to asking myself what it will actually take to achieve my goal and being honest about the answer. Sometimes that means identifying the problems in my or my group’s way of strategizing. Other times it's about being extra-present with myself—so I don't avoid the next burnout but instead embrace it for the past victories that it represents.

9. Veronica Funess, 20, college activist fighting to end rape culture

What I'm fighting for: I am a peer educator, and I intern for Students Promoting Empowerment and Consent (SPEAC) at the University of Arizona. By speaking to my peers, giving them helpful tips, and breaking down topics like consent and alcohol, or even Title IX, I am able to do justice to the causes I care about.

My experience with activism fatigue: Once I got deeply invested in my internship at school, I became a lot more socially aware. I watched what I said much more, and I found fewer things to be funny—even though my peers would still laugh. I never had a name for the run-down feeling of not being able to get people to understand—let alone care—about a cause. There are moments when I try to stir up conversation about rape culture, or micro-aggressions and stereotyping, and I’m met with silence, complacency, or straight-up ignorant responses. I feel frustrated, disconnected, and disappointed, and I worry whether I’m making enough of a difference.

How I stay motivated to keep fighting: I talk to my parents whenever I feel any doubt in what I'm doing or just need some moral support. They are my best friends, and they have awesome wisdom that helps me bounce back. I’ve also found that keeping a journal can help. I write out my bad days and how I'm feeling, but I also write my successes in it, too. I have those pages as tangible reminders that my work is important, my feelings are important, and everything I’m going through is valid.

What I'm fighting for: From a young age, I knew my purpose was to save animals—particularly wild animals and endangered species. Some of the causes that are now closest to my heart include saving elephants and rhinos from extinction from the ivory and rhino horn trade, protecting endangered species from poachers and trophy hunting, helping to end the horrific dog and cat meat trade in China, and promoting a plant-based, vegan lifestyle.

My experience with activism fatigue: About five years ago I launched my non-profit, Peace 4 Animals, and my news network, World Animal News. I became lost in the animals' heartbreaking stories and the painful images of their suffering. I didn't know how to turn that off, and I could not compartmentalize my work and personal life. I also felt guilty for going out with my friends and doing anything that wasn’t helping to save these animals. How could I have fun with all these horrible things happening to animals?

How I stay motivated to keep fighting: It was difficult, but I started allowing myself to find time for myself and have fun. I realized that if I was living a well-balanced life, I would be able to accomplish much more both personally and through my activism. And while it took me about five years, I finally accepted the fact that we can only do what we are capable of and the rest is up to fate and God. I also focus on how unbelievably rewarding is it to watch an animal who was once in need or at risk now live a happy and healthy life.

What I'm fighting for: After Mike Brown’s death and the uprising in Ferguson, I got involved in the racial justice movement with a focus on ending white supremacy. Right now, I am doing work in an organization called CLAW (Chicago League of Abolitionist Whites). We are an abolitionist organization, meaning we believe in the end of prisons and policing, and we put on training to educate other white folks about white supremacy.

My experience with activism fatigue: I first experienced activism fatigue when I was in college fighting for sustainable living and against climate change. There was always work we were supposed to be doing. We could always be doing better. I was super tired. I was stressed out all the time. I was mean to people in a way I had never been before. I wasn’t excited about waking up in the morning. My family accused me of being distant, to my shock and sadness. It showed up in my art, too—a lot of sad and dark images when I usually create art about hope.

How I stay motivated to keep fighting: I stepped away to focus on myself, went away to Wisconsin for an artist residency, and prioritized my art as a career and an outlet for expression and healing. I say all this knowing that the fatigue I felt was nowhere near the pain and fatigue that many black and brown people live with their whole lives. I have never feared for my life. I have never feared incarceration for walking down the street. I have never feared deportation or the deportation of a family member. The trauma I experienced was mostly the trauma of people around me, and I know I can do my part to spread awareness. This has kept me moving forward.